Formally established in 1935, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is the oldest continually performing symphony orchestra in the Southeast, reaching over 200,000 people annually. The founder and first conductor of the KSO was Bertha Walburn Clark, who believed “Every important occasion in life must have music.” Now, over 80 years later, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra continues to develop and sustain a symphony orchestra of the highest artistic standards and to reach all of East Tennessee audiences with excellent musical performance and education programs.